These two different Ovation Breadwinners currently listed on eBay illustrate quite nicely how the instrument had evolved over the eight years or so during which it was part of the Ovation catalogue of instruments. One of Ovation's earliest solidbody electric guitars, the Breadwinner, introduced in 1972, is known for its serendipitous ergonomic shape and for being one of the earliest production guitars to be equipped with an onboard active FET preamp.

The white Breadwinner at the top of the picture is quite an early example, although not one of the earliest. The first Breadwinners had the output jack on the side of the guitar just inside the rear cutaway, which was a bad move because that rear cutaway is the perfect place to rest the guitar against your right leg when playing seated. Ovation very wisely relocated the socket to the front of the guitar, which is where you'll find it on most models. Other features of this example are the textured "LyraChord" finish (colours available included blue, white, black, tan, grey, and red), the nylon bridge saddles, and the large toroidal single pole pickups.

The Breadwinner Limited seen at the bottom of the picture dates from 1980 when production of the Breadwinner had effectively stopped. The Breadwinner Limited model was an exercise in using up old stock. In a move similar to Fender CBS remodelling the bodies of Fender XIIs and five-string basses to produce new models, the Maverick and the Swinger, Ovation re-sculpted Breadwinner bodies with a cut-away on the top edge to give the guitar a much sleeker look. Finishes were usually natural (which had previously only been the domain of the Ovation Deacon - the deluxe version of the Breadwinner), although some examples were available in a "Tuxedo" grey to black finish. The pickguard is also much smaller, and pickups are Ovation's own mini-humbucking units. The bridge saddles are of brass which probably is more durable and allows for better sustain than nylon. Apparently approximately 500 examples of the Ovation Breadwinner Limited were produced.

(Incidentally, my own Ovation Breadwinner is right inbetween these two styles. It has the original shape but with a glossy black finish in place of the more usual LyraChord textured finish. The bridge has brass saddles and the pickups are mini humbuckers mounted on the smaller version of the pickguard.)

The white Breadwinner is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $875

The Breadwinner Limited is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $1,799. This listing is due to finish later today, although I suspect that it won't sell and will probably be re-listed. Even though the Limiteds were rarer, I feel that the price for the white Breadwinner is probably the more realistic of the two.

Google has announced that it is in operation in Spain as a MVNO or mobile virtual network operator. Google bought up a bunch of bulk network capacity from existing carriers and then handed the SIMs out to employees for testing. That testing was down with the Nexus S handset and apparently each of the cards accesses one of three various carriers including Orange, Movistar, and Vodafone.

It appears that the move on Google’s part isn’t to set up some sort of mobile network in Spain, but to get the workers it has within the country on a mobile network for voice and data at lower rates. The rumors claim that Google will also be going MVNO in other parts of Europe as well. We have to wonder if the tests are solely to save Google some loot on employee smartphones use or if this is a test of some scheme that it has in mind to become a carrier on its own.

Considering that the Nexus One that launched as the first Android device was sold directly to customers rather than through a carrier, it would be no surprise that the Google might have eyes on being a carrier in some places. With the purchase of Motorola Mobility Google now owns its own operating system, the company to make the hardware, and the wireless network would be the final piece of the puzzle.

Update: It turns out that there is a chance that the image here with the Google SIM card may be fake.paidContent has run across suggestions that the pics are not real and Google is offering no official comment.

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head to the point where you just need everyone else in a six-block radius to hear it? Apparently that’s a common affliction in my neighborhood. Last time it was Paul Simon at 4 in the morning. But at least they were only playing it on a boombox, not a 4000-watt sound tank.

Berlin-based artist Nik Nowak has created an actual track-based vehicle, as in a tank, with over a dozen speakers on it. Built on the frame of a Japanese industrial dumping vehicle, Panzer is the final answer in the boombox wars.

Unfortunately the steel tracks make it slightly impractical for getting around. Nice for rubble, but not so street-legal. He’ll probably have to have it lifted to venues where its presence is desired. It doesn’t go very fast, so this is probably for the best.

Every time I see something like this made out of LEGO bricks, it makes me want to run to the store and buy a batch just so I can try and make something as cool.

This particular LEGO creation is an antique typewriter, loaded with nifty details, including letters on the keys (though I don’t know where you get LEGO letters.)

It was created by Matt Armstrong (aka “Monsterbrick”) as part of his Steampunk LEGO Inventions series, and it truly is an incredible bit of LEGO work. While I doubt that it actually functions, he sure did a good job making it look like it could actually type. Even if he did have the mechanism working, I’m pretty sure you can’t make a typewriter ribbon out of LEGO bricks.

Regardless of functionality, I really like the little touches like the octopus and tridents on the front. I guess it’s a nautically-themed typewriter. I like to imagine it as the keyboard that Jules Verne might have done his writing with this.

This is quite possibly the most ambitious Lego project I have ever laid eyes upon… ever. It begs the obvious question, who has time to put together 43,000 plastic blocks (it took 3 1/2 months by the way) and can still rent/pay the mortgage on a place that is big enough to fit a giant 43,000-piece Star Destroyer? Iomedes, that’s who.

Jimiyo just sent over info about his newest art prints, both of which are awesome. “Veritas” and “Love Cthulhu” are both 18″ x 24″ screenprints, have editions of 77, and cost $30-$35 each. OMGPosters readers can enter the code “OMGPOSTERS” for 20% off at checkout. Visit his shop.